Intimate Business
by DalWriter
Summary: This is the smuttier version of my story Very Personal Business. Chapter 1 is the same. Chapter 2 gets steamy.
1. Chapter 1

For a brief moment after she grabbed his ass and announced "Good talk", Jamie stood in the middle of his apartment too stunned to move. He was still trying to comprehend what happened when he registered that the woman he loved was heading for the door. "Eddie," he called. "Wait!" They were both startled by how fast Jamie moved across the small room, to grasp Edie by the arm and turn her towards him. "Where are you going?"

Edie looked up at him, more surprised by Jamie's uncharacteristic physical dominance then his pleading words. He searched her eyes for an answer to his question and any sense of fear or reluctance but he did not let go of her upper arm, even as she seemed to move backwards to lean against the wall.

When Edie didn't say anything, Jamie redirected his remarks. "You kissed me."

The pugnacious blonde immediately defended herself. "You kissed me back."

"Of course I did. You're a beautiful woman and . . . .I've wanted you for a long time. I thought I made that clear," Jamie reminded her. "But you said you wanted to preserve our work partnership. That has to mean no kissing,"

Edie looked sufficiently chastised. She knew she'd been sending out mixed signals. If she understood what she was doing, she would have explained it to Jamie. She couldn't clarify why she had turned around and kissed him. She just knew she couldn't leave his apartment without doing something to explain how she felt, how unresolved their conversation felt despite their mutual assurances that things were good between them and they were 'fine'.

"You also grabbed my butt," Jamie stated the obvious.

A flicker of guilt flashed across her face but Edie was giving no quarter. "I was joking, Reagan. Lighten up."

"I'm not joking," Jamie insisted. He instinctively understood her dilemma. He also recognized that Edie had risked a lot by coming here and telling him the truth about her jealousy. He owed her the same disclosure, even though there was a lot at stake. For her, he'd put it all on the line. "I'm willing to go all in here."

"What do you mean?" Edie questioned.

"I want this," Jamie answered earnestly, leaning in. "I want you." His voice dropped as he made that last statement. The yearning was apparent in his timber.

"But we can't," Edie lamented. "You just said it yourself. We've been 'down this road' and it 'clouds people's judgment'."

"I did," Jamie agreed. "And you asked if we were good. I thought that was the end of it. It hurt to hear, . . . but you put our work partnership as your number one priority . . . and as much I hated hearing that, if that is what you wanted, I was going to go with it, but then you kissed me."

"It doesn't change anything. We're still partners," Edie reminded him. "It's against department policy."

"Fuck the department!" Jamie declared.

Edie's eyes went wide. She'd never heard Jamie talk like that. He was a Boy Scout. He played by the rules and lived his life according to the _Patrolman's Guide_ , although she'd seen him find a technicality whenever it suited him, like his decision to let Tara crash in his apartment, which is what brought everything to a head in the first place.

Her astonished look told Jamie everything he needed to know. She didn't need to speak for him to understand.

"If I have to make a choice, I chose you. I choose us," Jamie explained. Edie practically held her breath as Jamie continued. "If I have to choose between having you has my work partner and having you as my life partner, it's not a contest. I want this. I want you!"

Not knowing what to do with Jamie's declaration, Edie tried to deflect with humor. "Life partner? Is that a proposal, Reagan?" The smile on her lips was belied by the questions and apprehension in her eyes.

Jamie swallowed, then pursed his lips buying himself time to come up with the right answer to such a loaded question. "I'm certainly not . . .ah. . . . ruling it out, you know, . . . in the future . . . but no, that wasn't a marriage proposal. When we get to that point, you'll know."

Edie's heart was beating so wildly, she was certain it was going to fly out of her chest. Somehow she had taken a step backwards and was leaning against the wall. Without its support, Edie wasn't sure that she would still be standing even with Jamie so close to her; there were barely inches between them. When one of them spoke, she could feel their breath intermingling. Subconsciously, she recognized this as one of the most intimate experiences of her life.

"I'm saying I want you to stay. If I have to pick between having you in an RMP for eight hours a day or having you in every other aspect of my life, of having you in my bed, that's what I want. I can't go back to not touching you, to not kissing you." Jamie punctuated his point by leaning in and kissing Edie, fully pinning her to the wall. Like before, her hands came up to his neck to caress his hair line, only this time she was practically hanging on for dear life while she willingly let Jamie devour her.

Jamie's hands weren't locked chastely together at the small of Edie's back this time. Releasing her arm, he threaded his hand through the golden locks he had longed to touch for so long. His free hand reached inside her suede jacket to caress her curvy sides through her soft sweater; Jamie was pleased and relieved to feel Edie melting into him.

When they came up for air, again resting their foreheads against one another, Edie cast her eyes downward, no longer looking Jamie in the eye. "Are you sure about this?" she rasped hesitantly.

Jamie exhaled deeply but moved the hand still tangled in her hair to tilt Edie's chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye as he moved his head back to see her more clearly. "Of course I'm sure. Aren't you?"

Looking to the side Edie lamented softly, "I have lousy taste in men. I don't wanna ruin us." Her voice quivered as she spoke.

Internally Jamie wanted to kill, well at least maim, whoever did so much emotional damage to his beautiful partner to cause her to be so uncertain about her own value and her own desirability. "I'm not some guy you picked up in a bar or a pirate your 15 year old psychic said you'd fall for. I know you. More importantly, you know me. You said it yourself: I'm 'one of the good guys'." Although he was loathe to do so, Jamie knew he had to reign himself in. As much as he wanted her, he wasn't going to force the issue. "But if this is too fast for you, I'll back off." Jamie punctuated his words by detaching himself from Edie. While stepping away, he sighed and grabbed the back of his head. "Just tell me you want this too." He sounded almost defeated as he shoved his other hand into the pocket of his hoodie.

Pushing past Jamie, Edie stalked into his living room and began pacing in front of his couch. "This is so hard!"

"You're telling me," Jamie muttered under his breath at how tight and uncomfortable his jeans had become. This turn of events had significantly cooled his ardor but his heart still wanted her even as his logical side told him that he had to back off because Edie was always driving this bus. As expected, Edie didn't hear him verbalize his frustration or disappointment.

Turning to face into his living room, Jamie watched his partner pace. His future – both of their futures - personal and professional were at stake here. He was willing to let her process. "Whadda you want?"

Edie stopped pacing and glared at Jamie. Although she didn't verbally respond, the look on her face screamed, ' _Are you kidding me?!_ ' With that one question, Jamie had taken the wind out of her sails. She turned and threw herself onto the leather couch blowing out a deep breath in exasperation. "I . . ." she started to choke out before covering her mouth and shaking her head.

Moving cautiously, Jamie walked around to the other side of the couch and sat down gingerly, but a few feet away, figuratively giving her space, even though he'd closed the gap between them. "Talk to me."

Edie looked at Jamie with a mix of emotions. She was so grateful he seemed to understand but this was still an impossible situation. She always made such bad choices in men. No matter how good they looked going in, they always let her down in the end. Even her own father disappointed her.

"I'm not them. I'm not him," Jamie assured her. "You said it yourself, I'm 'not your type.'" His voice held a bit of an edge at that quote.

Edie hadn't meant to hurt him when she'd said that but it was true. Jamie was not only the best person she knew and her most cherished friend, but so much more. That was the true risk: if they didn't work out, she lost her boyfriend, her best friend and her partner. Doing nothing, keeping the _status quo_ in check and simply dreaming about what could be while riding with Jamie every day, assured he'd always be her in life, if only in a small way. She wiped a tear that hadn't fallen from the corner of her eye but didn't speak.

"Do you know what the classic definition of insanity is? Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result. Maybe it's time you dated against type." Jamie slid closer to her, and took one of her hands in his. "I get it. We risk a lot, but it's worth it, don't ya think? We can't stay partners forever. One of these days you're gonna get promoted to detective."

Smiling bitterly, Edie offered, "We all know you should have been promoted years ago."

Only acknowledging the truth of her statement with sad eyes, Jamie demurred, "I like being on patrol, being out there among the people." He let go of her hand and draped his arm behind her across the back of the couch.

Edie threw her head back and guffawed with the requisite eye roll, "The unwashed masses, the EDPs, the drunks. Fun times."

"This isn't about my family or our jobs," Jamie declared moving close enough that their legs were touching. "We've danced around this for so long. I'm tired of putting the job above everything else."

Edie raised her head to meet Jamie's eye with sympathy and understanding. She was still of multiple minds and inside her head and heart they felt like they were all warring. "You love the job."

"Maybe I love you more," Jamie revealed in typical earnest fashion.

Edie recoiled at that declaration and slid a few inches away from Jamie. "Love?!" she gasped in horror. "Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Who the hell said anything about love?"

Now Jamie was really hurt, not to mention confused. "You said you had feelings for me."

"Feelings, Reagan." Edie retorted. "Like. Lust. Desire. Longing. Nobody said anything about Love."

Jamie challenged her denial. "Semantics. Call a spade a spade. This isn't some one-off thing . . . .for either of us." Jamie's tone softened at the end. "You can't possibly think I'd risk . . . everything – our friendship, our partnership – just to get in your pants."

Edie ran her hand through her hair, trying to buy time. Sometimes, like now, she hated how well Jamie knew her. While she was all about casual sex and she was pretty sure he wasn't against it, deep down she knew with him it'd be different. "All my relationships go down in flames."

"My fiancé dumped me because she didn't like my job," Jamie reminded her.

"She was an idiot," Edie countered. "I thought we covered that." Even as Edie had been hypothesizing that Jamie didn't date because he was still hung up on Sydney, part of her knew he didn't date because he was waiting for her. Edie just wasn't fully prepared for the enormity of that commitment.

With Edie's comment about his EX being an idiot, Jamie knew he had an opening. He may not have practiced law for very long, but coupled with growing up in a family of cops, he knew when he had somebody on the proverbial ropes. "You think she was an idiot for not marrying me. You would have made a different choice." It really wasn't a question even though Jamie's voice rose slightly at the end.

"Any woman who would walk away from you is an idiot. You're . . ." Edie waved her hands in front of him non-verbally saying 'everything.' The quirk of Jamie's eyebrow compelled her to continue. "You're wicked smart. You're hot. . . . . You're funny, but not as funny as you think you are." Jamie chuckled at the jab but Edie continued. "You care about people. You really believe you can change the world."

Some days, Jamie himself would have put that last one in the negative column. Hearing Edie call him 'hot' made Jamie relax slightly. "So if you think any woman who would walk away from me is an idiot, why are you walking away?" the lawyer implored her to consider how illogical her position was.

"Because you're my partner," Edie tried to make him understand how different it was.

"I already told you 'fuck the department'," Jamie repeated even as Edie again recoiled at his harsh and uncharacteristic words. "This is . . . you're so much more important."

"What if it doesn't work?" Edie pleaded.

"What if it does?" Jamie countered.

Edie rolled her eyes and looked away muttering, "I hate you."

Jamie chuckled knowing he'd won this argument. He reached out to gently turn Edie to face him again. "No, you don't," he vowed before cupping Edie's chin and leaning in to resume kissing her, an action with which she was fully on board.


	2. Chapter 2

As their make out session intensified, the couple's bodies melded into one another. Without a great deal of effort Jamie was able to ease Edie further into his embrace so he could slightly lean back onto the couch forcing her to curve against him. The couch which was really more like a two cushion love seat was not big enough for them to lie prone. Once their bodies were flush Jamie took full advantage of his position to maneuver his hands inside Edie's suede jacket and under her sweater to caress the soft, warm skin of her lower back. His ministrations caused her to whimper in delight at the sensations he was causing. The undeniable bulge in his jeans was becoming painful. Although he had secretly vowed to let her set the pace, Edie's undulating hips seemed to be giving Jamie permission Edie had yet to verbalize. Removing his hands from inside her clothes without ending their glorious make-out session, Jamie eased his way up Edie's back sensuously stroking the butter soft suede. Grasping the studded lapels he attempted to push the jacket off her shoulders.

With her neck bared, Jamie trailed kisses across her cheek to nibble on the sensitive skin behind her ear. When he lightly tongued the shell of her ear, she shivered in his arms and breathily sighed "Jamie!" It was the hottest, most erotic thing he'd ever heard – his name on her lips while she was turned on.

Meanwhile Edie rucked up Jamie's t-shirt to expose the bare skin of his torso. Working her hand between their bodies, she found his nipple and begun tweaking it causing Jamie to groan with delight at the contact. The deep rumbling of his chest was sending fissures of pleasure through her body. With each squeeze he'd also buck his hips slightly in sync with her ministrations.

As Jamie struggled to push Edie's jacket off, the woman in question made up her mind. Things hadn't really gone anywhere yet but she was more aroused then she had ever been in her life. If this is what the preliminaries felt like, she reasoned the main event had to be spectacular. Edie pulled back from the kiss and lurched to her feet. The intensity of the make out session had scrambled her senses and effected the motor skills she needed to stand.

Jamie remained sprawled on the leather couch with his perfect abs on display, undulating from his heavy breathing. His redder than usual lips were slightly swollen from the kissing they had been doing. Somehow the button on his jeans had come undone; in that reclined, aroused position he looked like something out of _Playgirl,_ which increased Edie's desire to see what secrets those jeans were hiding. Confusion registered on Jamie's handsome face but was quickly replaced with a dazzling smile when Edie held her hand out to him. He took it willingly but it was more symbolic than necessary as he rose under his own power.

Once Jamie was upright Edie shrugged out of her own jacket letting it drop to the couch that they had just vacated and pushed Jamie's hoodie off his shoulders as she resumed kissing him. He wasted no time letting his hands explore. Grabbing her generous butt he pressed her forward so that she couldn't help but feel how excited he was. The contact elicited another moan from deep inside her.

With that Jamie started walking them backwards without breaking the kisses. His hands were in constant motion brushing the sides of Edie's generous breasts. Vying for dominance she pulled his t-shirt off, with Jamie willingly raising his arms to allow her to strip him. Dropping the t-shirt, Edie greedily stroked her hands across the expanse of Jamie's sculpted chest. The hunger in her eyes made him want her even more. To prove it, Jamie dipped his head to recapture Edie's willing mouth. They both stumbled but remained supported by the other and a few walls as they attempted to toe off their shoes while still making out and moving toward Jamie's bedroom.

Once inside his inner sanctum, Jamie reached for the hem of Edie's shirt before disengaging their mouths to ask permission with his eyes. She raised her hands in answer so he could pull the sweater over her head. Jamie sighed audibly in awe as he got his first view of his partner standing before him in jeans and a black lace bra which seemed to be barely containing her ample bosom. Reverently he placed his hands at her waist then slid them sensuously up the skin of her bare sides to cup each breast through the sexy bra and push the generous globes together further accentuating her cleavage. Involuntarily Jamie wantonly licked his lips, anticipating feasting on Edie's tits. "Tell me you weren't wearing things like this every day on the job."

Edie knew seeing her like this that Jamie was now fantasizing about her in the RMP in nothing but sexy lingerie and her NYPD hat. She'd had similar fantasies about him in nothing but his hat and utility belt, with maybe a pair of handcuffs dangling from his wrist, waiting for her to immobilize him for her pleasure. Perhaps some of those erotic dreams could now come true. While she preferred utilitarian sports bras at work to reign in the girls and saved the stuff like this for her off hours, Edie chose to tease her partner. "Maybe." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she saw the lust skyrocket in his baby blues right before he bent down to kiss, lick and nibble at the swells.

Not willing to let him have all the fun, Edie reached between their bodies to stroke the skin at his waist. She brushed her fingers through the peach fuzz road to paradise under Jamie's belly button. She rubbed downward to the top of Jamie's boxer briefs. Removing her hand she unzipped Jamie's jeans and pulled them open. He returned the favor, opening her jeans and pushing them off her hips.

As the heavy denim slid down both of their legs, they re-locked their lips in a delicious attempt to devour one another. They each stepped on the legs of their own jeans trying to disrobe as fast as possible. Jamie's was caressing every inch of bare skin he could get his hands on.

Edie started giggling first. She was losing her balance, trying to keep kissing Jamie and finish undressing. Her laughter was contagious, making Jamie snicker at the absurdity too. He disconnected them and started to speak but didn't have any words. The easy intimacy was just one more reason this was so right. Seeing Edie taking her pants off, Jamie did the same while enjoying the view of her in a lacy bra and hi-cut black satin panties. His own hard-on was straining to be freed from the confines of his heather grey boxer briefs.

Fully aware that her partner was ravishing her with his eyes, Edie let him look his fill for a few moments until she stood up clad only in her unmentionables. Worrying her lower lip in a sexy pout, Edie placed both of her hands against Jamie's pecs. He was so warm; his heart was racing under her hand. In an effort to move things forward, she shoved him backwards to fall on the bed. Giving Jamie a second to wiggle backwards Edie crawled on top of him to settle down and resume their make out session from the couch. However, now that they were prone she made sure to position herself to be able to grind their crotches together dry humping Jamie through their underwear. With her establishing a steady rhythm, Jamie unhooked Edie's bra. Rising up on her arms without disconnecting their groins, Edie allowed the lacy garment to slide down her arms spilling her breasts into Jamie's hands.

Although his initial focus was solely on his partner's assets Jamie looked up to meet her eyes. He was distracted by the gold circle dangling from her throat. Whenever she wore the necklace off duty, especially when paired with a low cut top, Jamie's attention had always been drawn to the long column of her elegant throat and the deep cleavage it highlighted. As she poised bare-breasted over him, Jamie could only begin to fathom the depths of his feelings for her. Reaching up, he brushed the hair from her face. "You're gorgeous," he praised.

Edie stilled and shook her head no. "Don't get all sappy on me, Reagan."

"Can't help it," he replied sincerely.

Sighing, Edie resuming kissing him. It was the most effective way she could think of to shut him up.

Jamie was only content to let her lead for a few more minutes. The need to divest them both of their last remaining coverings and bury himself inside the woman of his dreams was fast becoming overwhelming. Sliding his hand into the back of her panties to fondle the cheeks of her bottom, Jamie started to push the material off as he rolled them both over so he was on top. Allowing herself to be manipulated under Jamie's hard, muscular body Edie took the opportunity to push Jamie's boxers off his hips. As their last barriers were removed, Jamie flailed around in the drawer of the nightstand to find a condom.

Before he tore it opened, Jamie took a lasting look at Edie. "Are you sure? We can't go back from this."

"You're the one who said 'fuck the department.'" Edie teased.

Jamie groaned. The perfect retort, 'I'd rather fuck you' was on the tip of his tongue but he just couldn't say it. He didn't want to fuck Edie. He wanted to make love to her. He wanted to possess her; to cherish her; to worship her. He wanted to bind them together forever. This was so much more than a causal fuck.

Edie saw the emotions flash through Jamie's eyes. Although the feelings still overwhelmed her, she knew they were there on both sides. Before she could say anything her eyes rolled back in her head when Jamie stroked her folds confirming that she was wet enough for his invasion. He had no idea she'd been afraid she was going to cause a puddle to form in his apartment because she had never been this stimulated in her life. Regaining her senses even as Jamie teased her open, Edie begged, "Make love to me!"

Jamie didn't need to be asked twice. He fumbled a bit as he rolled the condom onto himself. Once he was dressed, Jamie rubbed his cock along Edie's moist slit to lubricate himself before sliding inside. Despite the conquest being welcome, it was a tight fit but one that imbued both parties with mutual pleasure. Sinking fully into Edie's willing body Jamie was awed by the emotional depths of their joining. "God, Edie!" He knew better than to tell her that he loved her again. Even though it was true, she wasn't ready to hear it yet.

Given the length of their partnership and their uncanny ability to communicate without words, it didn't take them long to find their special rhythm. Jamie intentionally kept the pace slow and deliberate, he was trying to learn this aspect of his partner.

Edie found the pace luxuriously infuriating. She urged him to intensify things, "Harder!" she breathed. "Faster."

Part of Jamie wanted to give her what she was begging for but part of him liked being in control and prolonging this. Shifting his position Jamie made sure that on every down stroke his shaft dragged over Edie's engorged clit. When her breath came in shorter and shorter pants and her hands clutched more desperately at his back, Jamie knew she was close and he sped up his pace. Within moments, Edie was clenching around him and shuddering to orgasm. Jamie dialed it back to allow her to catch her breath. With his slow steady pace he was winding her up for round two.

Edie had enough of his teasing. When she'd regained her equilibrium she pushed at Jamie signaling that she wanted to change positions. He willingly rolled onto his back. They tried to execute that maneuver in tandem but hadn't been lovers long enough to flip without coming apart. Once on top Edie eagerly sank onto Jamie's throbbing dick for a full on cowgirl ride. She raked her fingers across his chest as he toyed with her bouncing boobs. From his perspective the view was spectacular. Edie's hair was flying wildly with each thrust. Feeling his balls straining to release, Jamie reached out to rub Edie's clit to make sure that she came with him when he released his load into her.

Both drained, Edie flopped down face first on the bed next to Jamie who was gingerly removing the used condom from his deflating member. He had to reach across her to drop it in the trash on her side of the bed. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder as he settled to lie next to her. They both needed to catch their breath

Without raising her head from the pillow, Edie smiled at Jamie. "Wow. I'm impressed, Reagan."

Jamie grinned. "Right back atcha, partner."

They both felt a bittersweet sadness at that word. The events of the last few hours made it impossible for them to ever return to being work partners.

"Hey," Jamie moved to reassure her by rubbing her back. "We're just . . . different partners now."

"So I'm your 'partner'? You make us sound gay," Edie teased.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," Jamie parroted the usual politically correct response. Gesturing at their nakedness he continued, "But . . ah, you know . . . us being members of the opposite sex, that be a little hard."

"Very funny," Edie countered. Rolling onto her side facing Jamie, Edie put her hand in the middle of his chest and idly rubbed him. "Seriously. What are we gonna do about work?"

Jamie sighed and turned to Edie. "First thing tomorrow we tell Renzulli we need new partners."

"Just like that?" Edie asked incredulous that Jamie sounded so casual, so matter of fact about this. "What if they transfer us to the opposite ends of the City and us on opposite shifts? We'll never see each other."

"He won't do that," Jamie assured her.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just am," Jamie promised her.

Edie started to push herself off the bed. She still wasn't convinced but she trusted Jamie. "Tomorrow is gonna come way too soon."

"Where you going?" Jamie asked.

Edie reached for her panties. "Home."

Grabbing her wrist, Jamie implored, "Stay."

Edie was tempted. She really was. Doing a mental inventory, she remembered she had a sports bra in her locker at the precinct.

Before she could agree Jamie sweetened the offer. "I probably have a clean t-shirt that's too small for me that you could wear." He gave her his best pleading puppy dog eyes.

"I'll get more sleep if I stay here then schlepping all the way back to Manhattan," Edie reasoned.

Although Jamie would have preferred she stay because she wanted to be with him, he was happy she was at least agreeing to spend the night. Tugging down the covers, he raised Edie's side and invited her in. She crawled in beside him and he wrapped an arm around her, cuddling her to his side. He felt so at peace. Having Edie here in his arms felt so right. For the first time since Vinny died, Jamie slept soundly.

Jamie woke early the next morning, happy and warm with a naked Edie in his arms. Unable to resist, he caressed her sleeping form which had the desired effect of waking her. "You're such a morning person," Edie grumbled as she tried to turn away from him. Her maneuvering only served to embolden Jamie who palmed one of her heavy breasts and plucked at her nipple. His other hand found its way between her legs as he pressed his morning wood between her cushioned cheeks. Arching her back, she put up a token protest, "Reagan."

"Yes, dear," he replied as he nuzzled her neck.

Having seen where he kept the condoms the night before, Edie reached into the drawer and fished one out.

When she handed it to Jamie, he extoled, "I knew you'd see things my way."

With his fingers exciting her sex, Edie agreed, "You can be pretty persuasive when you wanna be." Craning her head back, she waited for a good morning kiss from her new lover.

Given the hour, this joining was more fervent than the night before. When they broke apart Jamie invited Edie to join him in the shower. "I'll scrub your back."

"Better be all you scrub or we're gonna be late for work," she reminded him.

"We could bang in sick. . . " He ventured.

"And stay here and 'bang' all day," Edie finished his sentence.

"I would have said 'make love' but yeah." With a wicked twinkle in his eye, Jamie confirmed that Edie was reading his dirty mind correctly.

Rolling her eyes, Eddie sauntered past Jamie toward the bathroom. "C'mon Boy Scout. We both know you'd never do something like that."

"You're right," Jamie agreed begrudgingly but he happily followed the naked blonde into the bathroom.

Their shower was accented with deep kissed and sensual mutual rubbing. As glorious as being naked, wet and slippery together was, the pair reluctantly ended their shower and rushed through the process of getting dressed. From under the sink Jamie produced a new toothbrush for his guest. When he was finished brushing, Jamie dropped the toothbrush into the holder next to his own and beamed happily at Edie. "Don't get ahead of yourself there, slugger," Edie cautioned.

Jamie sighed. "It's just a toothbrush."

They both knew it was so much more.


End file.
